IG Liaquat Ali Malik says protesters using women as human shields, armed with modern weapons, targeting security forces

By The South Asia Times

MUZAFFARABAD, KASHMIR - The Inspector General of Police for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Captain (Retd.) Liaquat Ali Malik, has exposed what he described as the violent and destructive activities of the banned Action Committee, ruling out any negotiations with the armed elements and accusing them of using women as human shields, opening fire on security forces, and causing massive damage to public infrastructure and the region’s economy.

In a media briefing, the police chief detailed a litany of offenses committed by the proscribed group, stating that its members had dug up and destroyed roads built at the cost of billions of rupees and cut down trees, handing them over to the timber mafia. He said the committee's own agents had openly announced they would shut down markets and bazaars.

"The troublemakers of the banned Action Committee use women as human shields, hide behind them, and open fire on the forces," IG Malik said, adding that security forces personnel have been martyred at the hands of the protesters and hundreds have been injured. He stressed that the forces were not responding with fire but were showing patience and restraint.

Malik questioned how individuals armed with modern and banned weapons like M4 and M7 could be considered part of a peaceful protest.

He accused the group of destroying people's livelihoods, killing and abducting innocent citizens, and carrying out grenade attacks on forces' posts. He asserted that such individuals "can never be peaceful people".

Earlier this month, the AJK government confirmed that seven law enforcement personnel, including police and Rangers officials, were martyred during the recent unrest.

According to Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif, the personnel were killed with weapons allegedly recovered from members of the now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), while 45 personnel suffered serious injuries.

The unrest, which erupted over the committee's demand to abolish 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Occupied Kashmir, has had a devastating impact on the region.

Prior to the current crisis, a six-day lockdown declared by the committee had already caused over 30 billion rupees in business losses. The committee's activities have paralyzed business, with transport terminals shut down and drivers subjected to violence and harassment. In some areas, educational activities remain suspended, with students expressing concern over their wasted academic year .

Civil society in AJK has organized protest rallies against the anti-state activities of the proscribed Action Committee, expressing strong public anger against the disruptive elements. Participants urged the public to boycott the outlawed group and emphasized that citizens support resolving all issues through constitutional and legal means only.

Reaffirming the state's commitment to maintaining law and order, IG Malik firmly rejected calls for negotiations with the violent groups, stating that it is impossible to hold talks with people responsible for murdering fellow officers. He stressed that finding political solutions is not the responsibility of the police and that such matters fall within the domain of political leadership.

"Those who destroy people's livelihoods, kill and abduct innocent people, and carry out grenade attacks on forces' posts can never be peaceful people," Malik said, adding that the full force of the law would be used to protect public safety and ensure accountability for those responsible.